1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a medical device guidance system suitable for rotating, propelling, and guiding a medical device main body inserted in a body cavity.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventional examples of systems for propelling a micromachine in a subject by a rotating magnetic field are set forth in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication Nos. 2001-179700 and 2002-187100. These conventional examples each disclose a movement control system for a movable micromachine, the system including magnetic field generating sections for generating a rotating magnetic field; a robot main body rotating under this rotating magnetic field and obtaining a thrust by the rotation; a position detecting section for detecting the position of the robot main body; and magnetic field modifying means for modifying the orientation of the rotating magnetic field generated by the magnetic field generating sections, for directing the robot main body toward the direction such that the robot main body reaches a target destination, based on the position of the robot main body, detected by the position detecting section.
On the other hand, a capsule type medical device, typified by a capsule endoscope, is now applied to a gastrointestinal organ (mainly, small intestine).
Such being the case, as set forth in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2003-275170, a capsule type medical device guidance system that guides a medical device by providing a guidance mechanism for this capsule type medical device, is disclosed.
Furthermore, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2004-229922 discloses a capsule endoscope having a spiral structure section and being rotationally propelled. In this Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2004-229922, studies about the height of a spiral, the pitch thereof, the number of threads of the spiral are disclosed.